(Washington, D.C.) In 1911, the grisly image of 146 garment workers who died after being locked in a burning factory moved tens of thousands of everyday people to speak out against the garment industry and demand a new era of workplace safety.

Now, 100 years later, garment workers in countries such as Bangladesh are still dying. The death toll is sickeningly high and continues to climb. Just a few weeks ago, more than 1,100 garment workers were killed under tons of rubble as the buildings where they worked collapsed.

Following is a statement by SEIU President Mary Kay Henry regarding the Bangladesh Safety Accord:

Tragedy can lead to good, but only if the good act.

"We applaud those responsible companies such as C&A, PVH (Calvin Klein/Tommy Hilfiger), Tchibo, H&M and Inditex (Zara ) which have agreed to sign a desperately needed accord on safety in Bangladesh that calls for independent inspections with public reports, mandatory repairs and renovations, mandatory termination of business with any factory that refuses to make necessary safety upgrades, and a vital role for workers and their unions.

"But there are many others who have not agreed to sign the accord on safety--Wal-Mart, The GAP and Children's Place to name a few.

"Together with our affiliate Workers United--which represents thousands of garment workers in the United States and Canada--and the global federations UNI and IndustriAll, we demand that retailers and apparel brands immediately sign the Bangladesh Safety Accord. SEIU will join in protesting those companies who do not sign.

"The safety accord is a start, not an end. Garment workers in Bangladesh make only 21 cents a day. Unions in Bangladesh are ruthlessly suppressed and workers have few rights if any. To be truly effective, private initiatives like this must be accompanied by public commitments to labor rights by governments and corporations alike to make labor rights an essential part of the ground rules of the global economy."

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